Get The Look; Smokey Eye

Turn Heads With This Smokey Eye Technique

Makeup application can sometimes be overwhelming and underwowing. Following these simple tips can have you on your way to sultry starlet looks in no time. First things first, yesterday’s makeup will need to be wiped clean; I suggest using something gentle and hypoallergenic. Pat dry your face and lids with a clean towel, if your skin is damp it can interfere with the application process and final look. Now that we have a fresh canvas to work with, let’s get started.

Like any artist, there are tools and mediums you must have to get the look you are going for. Start with a primer, like Urban Decay Primer Potion. Create a couple of dots on your lid, smear from lash line to brow bone. The primer insures that your makeup is going to stay where and how you applied it. Pick two to three eye shadows that are similar in color, but the shade levels vary from lightest to darkest. Using you’re your large eye shadow brush, apply the darkest shade only to your lid making sure the color is even all the way across. Now, take a firmer brush and sweep both sides in the next shade lighter shadow powder (if you are only using two colors, follow the same steps, only use the darkest color you already applied, again). Turn the brush upside down and touch the end of the brush handle to the tip of your nose and the place the bristles of the brush to the outside corner of your eye, creating a small dot which will use as your guide. Once you have established a guide on the outside corner of your eyes, gently sweep the brush from the guide dot, along only the crease of your lid, to the inside corner of you eye. You have to do this step two or three times depending on the cooperation of your shadow and the color you are trying to achieve. Next, you are going to take your highlighting or smudge brush and swirl it in the lightest shadow powder you have selected. Apply shadow from directly above the line you just created in the crease all the way to your brow bone. This technique is known as highlighting.

Your eyes may look like that have a lot of makeup, but we still haven’t blended, which is where the smokey magic starts to happen. Take your fan brush or your large eye shadow brush (which you may have used earlier on your lid, simply wipe it back and forth across a clean towel to get the loose makeup out of it) and very gently swirl just the tips of the bristles in small circular motion across your entire eye. The colors should start to blend into each other, erasing any lines you may have created. Do this step until all the color appears meshed well, remember not to press too hard or you may disturb the color stacking.

Take your black eyeliner (you can use dark brown, if you prefer, black is more dramatic) and line the inner lower lash line and the inner upper lash line. Most retractable eyeliner will have a little white sponge tip on the opposite end; use the out the outside corner of the lower lash line and smudge the line towards the inner corner and the outside corner, thus creating the “smokey” effect. If your eyeliner does not have the sponge tip, a triangle makeup sponge will do the trick, too! You can go a step further and line the outer upper lash line with a liquid or gel liner, making the look that much more dramatic. Simply pull your eye taught and draw a line from the upper inside corner of your eye to about the middle. While still pulling your lid tightly, draw a line from the upper outside corner of your eye, connecting it the line you just drew. You may need to go over the entire line one more time to create a smoother effect.

Grab you eyelash curler, making sure that the rubber inserts are free of makeup, and crimp your natural lashes, holding for about 15 seconds. You may want to release pressure a couple of times to make them swoop even more. Apply a thick coat of mascara, starting at the root of your lashes and wiggling the wand to the tip. Do this until all your lashes are coated with mascara. Using the mascara wand, feather the outside corner of your eyelashes rapidly five to ten times to create a bit more length. If you need to, comb through your lashes with an eyelash comb, this will eliminate any clumps.

You are almost finished, time to complete the finishing touches. It’s always a good idea to take your brow brush or spindle and brush your brows up and over, towards the outside corner of your eye. This will give your whole eye an “opened” look. You may need to use brow wax, like Brow Zing from Benefits Cosmetics, to keep the strays in place. Apply a little pressed power below your eyes to set any concealer you may have used prior to starting the smoky eye technique. Using your smudge brush, gently dip the tip of the bristles back into the darkest eye shadow color and follow the inside corner of your lower lid. You may have extra pigment on your face; generally a few swirls of a kabuki brush will sweep that away. Voila, you have the infamous “smokey eye”.